In response to criticism from Catholics and other Christian groups over a gaudy tableau that seemed to mock Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” artwork, the organizers of Paris 2024 issued an apology on Sunday.
The section, which included drag queens, a transgender model, and a nude singer dressed as the Greek wine god Dionysus, was met with disapproval by the American religious right and the Catholic Church. It was modeled after the biblical account of Jesus Christ and his apostles enjoying their last meal before being crucified.
It is obvious that disdain for any religious organization was never the goal. Speaking at a news conference, Paris 2024 spokesperson Anne Descamps stated that the opening ceremony “tried to celebrate community tolerance.”
“We believe this ambition was achieved. If people have taken any offence we are really sorry.”
The International Olympic Committee said it took note of Paris 2024’s clarification.
Thomas Jolly, the artistic director behind the flamboyant opening ceremony, said the scene had not been inspired by “The Last Supper” and depicted a pagan feast linked to the gods of Olympus.
“You will never find in my work a desire to denigrate anyone or anything,” Jolly told broadcaster BFMTV.
CATHOLIC HERITAGE ON THE LAST SUPPER
France, while proud of its rich Catholic heritage, also has a long tradition of both secularism and anti-clericalism. Blasphemy is not only legal but also considered by many as an essential pillar of freedom of speech.
Hugo Bardin, whose drag queen character Paloma took part in the tableau, was disappointed Paris 2024 had felt compelled to apologize.
“An apology means recognizing a mistake, recognizing that you deliberately did something to harm, which was not the case,” Bardin said.
“What bothers people isn’t that we’re reproducing this painting,” Bardin continued, “What bothers people is that queer people are reproducing it.”
Supporters of the tableau praised its message of inclusivity and tolerance.
However, the Catholic Church in France said it deplored a ceremony that “included scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity.”.
Archbishop Charles Scicluna, the highest-ranking Catholic official in Malta and an official for the Vatican’s powerful doctrinal office, said he had contacted France’s ambassador to Malta to complain about the “gratuitous insult.”.
In a message to the ambassador shared on X, he wrote: “I would like to express my distress and great disappointment at the insult to us Christians during the opening ceremony … when a group of drag artists parodied the Last Supper of Jesus.”
Some commentators said the controversy was another example of 21st-century culture wars turbocharged by a 24-hour news cycle and social media.
Jolly said on Saturday that religious subversion had never been his intention.
“We wanted to talk about diversity. Diversity means being together. We wanted to include everyone, as simple as that,” he told reporters on Saturday.